Home

Worship & Music

St Paul’s Cathedral has been here for over 1,400 years. It has been built and rebuilt five times, and always its main purpose has been as a
place of worship and prayer.

Visit Us

St Paul's, with its world-famous dome, is an iconic feature of the London skyline. Step inside and you can enjoy the Cathedral's awe-inspiring
interior, and uncover fascinating stories about its history.

Learning & Faith

Lifelong learning is a core part of the our work, delivered through a variety of events by St Paul's Institute, and the
Cathedral's Adult Learning and Schools & Family Learning departments.

History & Collections

For more than 1,400 years, a Cathedral dedicated to St Paul has stood at the highest point in the City. The present Cathedral is the
masterpiece of Britain's most famous architect Sir Christopher Wren.

Support Us

Behind the scenes, the cost of caring for St Paul's and continuing to deliver our central ministry and work is enormous and the generosity of
our supporters is critical.

Venue Bookings

Widely considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful buildings and a powerful symbol of the splendour of London, St Paul’s Cathedral is a
breathtaking events venue.

Sermon preached on the Sixth Sunday after Trinity (12 July 2015) by the Reverend Canon Tricia Hillas, Pastor

The Reverend Canon Tricia Hillas look at prisoners of conscience and says: "God is for us – and stands ready to bring hope and power, yes even into
the sorriest prison cell."

Our readings from the scriptures could hardly seem more different. The first captures the wonder of the truth that before even the foundation of
the world God has intended good for us: blessed beyond imagining; made holy, adopted as children of God, gifted with forgiveness and hope.

I wonder if John, held in a tyrant’s prison, felt blessed? We heard the account of his imprisonment and brutal death in our gospel reading. It’s
not necessarily comfortable to say ‘thanks be to God’ in response to words like that.

Those words begin with the ruler, Herod, hearing extraordinary things about a young prophet, Jesus, from the hill-town of Nazareth.

Rumours were running wild: Maybe this was the ancient prophet Elijah – who, according to Jewish tradition would return to get things ready for
the final judgement?

Maybe it was one of the other great prophets of old?

Or maybe, said Herod, this is John – John back from the dead.

Who was John and why was he so much on Herod’s mind?

John had been a wonder both to hear and see. A relative of Jesus, even in the womb he’d had responded to his coming, John had lived in the
wilderness, preaching, calling people to repentance, proclaiming that forgiveness was possible, he had baptised many, preparing the way for
the one who was to come.

His own work and words were pointed towards by the words of the prophet Isaiah.

Words perhaps familiar to us from the opening section of Handel’s ‘Messiah’:
"The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low
And the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places a plain
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'

Herod, was Herod Antipas, under the occupying authority of Rome, he ruled over the region of Galilee. It would be before this Herod, that,
eventually, Jesus too would be brought.

John’s imprisonment and martyrdom are dramatic – the account takes the form of a story within a story; with elements which would sell newspapers
even today; royalty, power, lust, seduction, political ambition, scandal and death. Titian and Carravaggio, amongst others have painted it. Oscar
Wilde wrote a play about it and Richard Strauss used it as the basis of his opera ‘Salome’.

More though than simply tracing the drama of life and death, the account of Herod, his court and John, the messenger of God, brings into focus the
great struggle between ambitious power and prophetic truth. John’s words had intrigued and challenged Herod. The poignancy is that perhaps it could
have ended differently – their encounter could have been liberating for both of them. A story of so near and yet…

Another twist and a turn, and Herod’s demons seem to trap him and he can see no way out. John, languishing in prison, pays the price. The price of
Herod’s torments and of having dared to speak truth to the powerful.

The price for pricking Herod’s conscience.

And of course many have continued to pay a similar price ever since.

The term ‘Prisoner of Conscience’ was coined by Peter Benenson in an article called ‘The Forgotten Prisoners’, published in the Observer newspaper
in May
1961.

The article launched the campaign ‘Appeal for Amnesty 1961’. It received enough public support to become a permanent organisation and Amnesty
International was born.

Today Amnesty campaigns for those jailed because of their political, religious or other conscientiously-held beliefs, their ethnic origin, gender,
colour, language, sexual orientation, economic, birth or other status. Since its foundation, thousands of prisoners of conscience have been
released following action by Amnesty and its supporters. Others, however, still wait for release and more join their numbers.

If Herod Antipas and his court thought that with the death of John that they had won, that trouble had been averted – they would be disappointed.
The story of his killing got around. And worse, other rumours were getting stronger –another preacher, a teacher, a miracle-worker was attracting
attention – everyone wanted to see him, to hear him.

Who is this man? Might it be John, returned after all, wonders Herod..?

Before long Herod would meet Jesus for himself.

In the gospel of Luke, we hear that Jesus’ accusers ask Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor to judge and condemn Jesus, accusing Jesus of making
false claims of being a king. While questioning Jesus, Pilate realizes that Jesus was a Galilean, and therefore under Herod's jurisdiction. Given
that Herod was in Jerusalem at that time, Pilate decides to send Jesus to Herod to be tried.

According to Luke, Herod had wanted to see Jesus for a long time, hoping to observe one of the miracles of Jesus. However, Jesus says nothing in
response to Herod's questions - so Herod and his soldiers mock Jesus, put a gorgeous robe on him, ironically dressing him as ‘the King of the
Jews’, and sent him back to Pilate. And Herod and Pilate become friends with each other that day: for before they were at enmity.

It seems Herod hadn’t altered much – as with John, he had some of the right questions, he was still curious yet ultimately unwilling to commit.

Herod may have believed that he’d come out on top – both John and Jesus had come into his orbit and he’d had a role to play, he thought, in
extinguishing them. But, he was mistaking apparent success for lasting significance.

For what became of Herod?

Within a decade he’d fallen foul of the Roman overlords, was banished to Gaul and left to die in disgrace in a distant land.

But, just a few days after he’d stood before Herod, new rumours began circulating about Jesus – it was said that his tomb, though he’d been
crucified, dead and buried, was now empty! Later, as Herod languished in his exile, elsewhere hope was rising and good news spreading, carried by
the movement initiated by John and Jesus.

Rumours of hope which persist to this day … declaring that even before the foundation of the world God has intended good for us. That within reach
are blessings beyond imagining; since God is for us – and stands ready to bring hope and power, yes even into the sorriest prison cell.